KLR 650 RIP Fake News?

[DrGMIA]

Fake, fake, fake news, rumor, gossip or "truth is not the truth," the 2018 KLR 650 models mark the end of production, but may be sold as leftovers into the calendar year of 2019

Do not keep lamenting the unavailability in Thailand of the Thailand manufactured Kawasaki KLR 650 for sale in Thailand. Often described as the best "value" in the dual-purpose 650 cc class, dealers in the USA market (the largest market for this model) are quietly leaking to potential customers to purchase what is available now as after the current models are gone, it's RIP.

Don't shoot the messenger.....

Dr. G MIA
Chief of the World Adventure Affairs Desk, CITY BIKE, globally researching adventurous affairs
Sole Sexual Survivor: www.greataroundtheworldmotorcycleadventurerlly.com

 

[bsacbob]

A true go anywhere bike, and easy to repair. It is a pity they have never been generally available in Thailand although Red Baron in BKK was selling some at ridiculous prices some time back.

Nice trout BTW Dr G

 

[DrGMIA]

Fish...and KLR 650 fishy adventures:

As the Adventure Editor-at-Large for Kawasaki's print publication and digital magazine ACCELERATE I toyed with the "go anywhere" concept compared to other motorcycle catch phrases, like:

"Ride to eat, eat to ride," "It's about the journey," and for older Honda guys, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." For the KLR I conjured:
"KLR riders catch big(ger) fish," but could never figure out how to sneak it through the review process.

Those two KLR's Red Baron had were priced at over twice the USA price, no longer making them the "value" purchase.

As for "go anywhere," they could, if one was ready to push, pull, grunt, drag and sweat. As the picture on my book cover DOWN AND OUT below shows, they did not do well in sugar sand (and there were no fish at the end of that hot day, only a compound broken leg).

The fellows who recently went through the Darien Gap (between Panama and Colombia) learned they could drag, carry, push and pull a KLR through that extreme (one of the four bailed after the first few miles, turned around and possibly spent the next days catching big fish :-) )

I believe, if the KLR after 2018 models are gone and RIP, they will eventually move into the "cult bike category" that the BMW G/S (1980-81 era) has, and bring WTFOT prices in time.....but not soon.

The KLR had a wide global following (USA Kawasaki sold every one they imported and one seldom saw, if ever, an advertisement) but time marched past the Timex-like model. The one in the fish photo and on the book cover photo now has nearly 100,000 kilometers on it, only once suffering from a mechanical "problem," that being the master link taking a walkabout at 130 kph on paved highway (luck was the chain did not ball up and crack the engine case). That mechanical problem was attributed to the clip coming off, having been installed by a well-known and published "shade tree mechanic" who had catching big fish on his mind and not daily checking the master link when spraying the chain.

I doubt we'll see a KLR650 phoenix rise from the ashes of the USA current market melt down, but Kawasaki HI is one of the smartest manufacturers out there, out selling USA Big Red a few years ago. The KLR was in the "value, simplicity, and possibly go-anywhere" niche. That niche has gotten older and less go-anywhere driven. Kawasaki may see a replacement to fill the void, but not so simple and likely far less value due to government requirements like ABS, FI and the move to drive by wire.

Meanwhile, I believe the pictured 2009 KLR650 above has many kilometers left in it's bones, and I know it can get me to the big fish :-)

Dr. G MIA
Chief of the World Adventure Affairs Desk, CITY BIKE, globally researching fishy and adventurous affairs
Sole Sexual Survivor: www.greataroundtheworldmotorcycleadventurerlly.com

 

[2wheels]

A bit more here.

KLR650 Discontinued? - Australasian Dirt Bike Magazine

“Model year 2018 will be the final year of the iconic motorcycle. On 1 October we will discontinue all incentives on KLR650s.”

(adbmag)

Just wondering, seeing it appears Kawasaki can't modernize their KLR to suit current legal requirements, they might be
considering an equivalent replacement. A bigger 300X for example?

 

[Fishenough]

A sad day.

Another fish minded KLR from Canada's north with 70,000 km's

Summer north of the Arctic Circle

 

[2wheels]

Very nice Kevin.
What year is that one?
Have you done any modifications?
Best wishes.

 

[Fishenough]

Hi Ron, hope all is well!

It's a 2008, nothing but regular maintenance. We'll I've upgraded the front forks, a fork brace, had the rear shock upgraded, these things improved the most. Bits like bar risers, doohickey, and a aluminum skid plate that mangled after a season in Alaska. Put the stock back on, and bent the oil plug last fall. And many tires, but non dot knoobies are nasty on little 1000km to 2500 km rides, like last summers ride down from Yellowknife NWT to Vancouver BC. I have a GSA which is comfortable for long pavement rides, but the KLR is my favorite for back road adventuring in Alaska, the Yukon, and British Columbia. I had a DR400 for a season 4 years ago, but that's a play bike, not for the long slow distancece in remote areas. I tell myself I'll stick to roads but find myself too often on no road what's so ever on the KLR.. That doesn't happen on the BMW.

I never take many pictures of the bike, but here is one of my favourite roads, the Canol Road. July weekend of last year I road the entire south road to Ross River, and saw no other person, no other vehicles, on this well groomed dirt highway where it was hard to keep to the 60 kph speed limit.

 

[Ally]

Nice landscapes Kevin

 

[2wheels]

Wow, that looks nice.
Hope to see more from 'your' area Kevin.
Thanks for the info.
'Doohickey' = Balancer Chain Adjuster Lever and seems to have been sorted by
the late 2015 models. Didn't take them long!!
Rgs

 

[DrGMIA]

In this photo was an early 2008 KLR650 I had in 2007 - it was an "oil burner," which they sorted out in later 2008 models. Suspension was a bit soft, which they also sorted out. Kawasaki made other refinements up until the 2018 production run.

I saw two 2018 models the other day in a Denver, Colorado USA Kawasaki dealership, asking price was $5,995.00 for each. With the refinements over the last 10 years they were a very good "value." One could buy three at that price versus one "big" displacement adventure marketed motorbike and have money left over for a comfortable six months hunting big fish.

Sidebar: Photo was taken on the border of Mexico and USA (Arizona) where I was researching trails and tracks used to sneak over the border and into the USA. The pipe work is what marks the border. It was an interesting adventure because what I thought were bees zipping past me I quickly determined were bullets from the sound of the rifle fire. I was not sure from which side of the border they were firing, or if they were merely trying to scare me off or poor riflemen. I've not returned to the area to see changes since this photo in 2007.


Dr. G MIA
Chief of the World Adventure Affairs Desk, CITY BIKE, globally researching fishy and adventurous affairs
Sole Sexual Survivor: www.greataroundtheworldmotorcycleadventurerlly.com

 

[2wheels]

A bit more info here;

" I spoke to a Kawasaki representative who verified that the KLR has indeed been discontinued. Existing inventory will still be available, but production has been halted. The representative said that Kawasaki would continue parts support for the foreseeable future.

When asked if Kawasaki had plans for a KLR replacement, the representative said that he did not have any more information. But he did say that Kawasaki was planning to introduce four new models at EICMA in November. Asked about what kinds of bikes would be included in the four new models, he said he did not have any details and referred me to the Kawasaki website.
Going to the Kawasaki website brings you to a splash page and a large timer counting down. In the foreground, six Kawasaki models that made their “debut” the AIM Expo are shown. In the background four bikes are hidden under sheets. So while it appears that the mystery about the KLR’s demise has been solved and made public, a new riddle has been added.
Would Kawasaki kill off its venerable KLR without a replacement? Will the bikes to be revealed at EICMA just be updates to existing models, or potentially contain a replacement for the KLR? It looks like we are going to have to wait until EICMA to know the answer. "

(Adventure Rider)

 

[Fishenough]

For ending the KLR they are

PS that picture and my house are over 6000 kms apart, which is why I didn't take the KLR which is locked safely away across the country.

 

[2wheels]

A bit more;

Kawasaki KLR650 Discontinued After 31 Years of Production - Motorcycle.com

" A potential Versys-X 650 using the fuel-injected parallel-Twin of the Versys 650 makes the most sense. Could we see such a bike at EICMA? "

(Motorcycle.com)

 

[Fishenough]

More KLR, just because I'm riding around Georgian Bay and it's threatening snow flurries.

Sitting at the dock in the bay in the land of the midnight sun, near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Central Vancouver Island backroad exploring, this is the ski lodge I skied outta of as a teen. This is last December, but there was a foot of snow here a week later.

Again December in Canada's tropics, the KLR's ideal habitat

Christmas holiday visiting on the Sunshine Coast, we went snow shoeing the next day. Love this part of Canada, when my northern friends are ice fishing on a meter of ice, we can ski all day and than go out fishing on the ocean wearing a light jacket.

 

[2wheels]

Good vid.

Dear KLR 650 - I love you and goodbye - Adventure Rider

(AdvRider)

 

[DrGMIA]

A "go anywhere, do anything" motorcycle was what Joe Tustin decided he needed for the North America and South America stages of his global circumnavigation, so chose a 2009 Kawasaki KLR650. Adding a bit of bling and farkle, including an extra large capacity gas tank, he was digitally captured here in earlier 2018 on Day 1 in Trinidad, Colorado, headed south. He honored me by asking I be the first to autograph his virgin gas tank. He has had some serious adventures, including "riding through a revolution" in Nicaragua, having adventurously ignored travel alerts for USA citizens. So far no "gringo hunters" have caught him. He updates his blog occasionally, the last being from Peru. Free, with no ads, it's here: QR646.com


Dr. G MIA
Chief of the World Adventure Affairs Desk, CITY BIKE, globally researching adventurous affairs
Sole Sexual Survivor: www.greataroundtheworldmotorcycleadventurerlly.com